Vegetable-cutter.



J. SPENKO. VEGETABLE CUTTER. APPLICATION FILED EAL-25,1908.

* 940,830. I Patented Nov. 23 1909.

, T0 W W 4/ v Marius JOSE]? SPENKO, OF .COLLINWOOD, OHIO.

VEGETABLE-CUTTER.

Specification of llette'rs Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Application filed March 25, 1908. Serial No. 423,096.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnr SrnNKo, a citizen of the United States, resident of Collin wood, county of Guyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vegetable-Cutters, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

This invention relates, as indicated, to vegetable cutters or slicers, being designed for use in cutting sauerkraut, and in the preparation of various other vegetables for cooking or other uses.

One object of the invention is the provision of a device of this sort wherein adjustment of the thickness of the slices being cut may be readily had and with a desirable degree of precision; while among other features may be enumerated the form of the cutter, or knife, employed, as also certain structural details whereby the device may be adapted for, cutting vegetables into thin strips, as in the making of sauerkraut, or in angular blocks, as for so called Julienne ptotatoes as desired.

Said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vegetable cutter embodying my several improvements, a part of the bed being broken away in order the more clearly to reveal the construction of the device; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of such bed section removed from the frame of the device; Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view of such bed section turned bottom side up; Fig. 4 illustrates a slightly modified construction and Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of a member attached to the under side of such bed section and forming a feature inclosing said bed portion and forming sides of the device. Suitable transverse bars a provide a base on which the device may rest and also impart to the structure a desirable degree of rigidity.

Strips, or side members, a are provided with longitudinal grooves 0 adapted to receive and slidably hold in place on the frame a box A designed for the reception of the vegetable being cut or sliced. This box is of the usual rectangular form and is preferably provided with a cover a slidably fitting. within the same so that the vegetable can be pressed down upon the bed of the device as the box is moved back and forth, withoutdanger of cutting the fingers on the knife. Such knife A Fig. l is inset in the inner end of the fixed section A of the bed flush with the surface thereof, and consists of two similarly inclined portions (1 a converging inwardly and forwardly from the edges of such bed so as to meet substantially on a center line of the same. The adjacent end a of the movable bed section A is made of corresponding triangular form, Figs. 2 and 3. This movable section is pivotally secured at its outer end to the frame by being provided with laterally projecting pins a that are adapted to fit into terminally opening pockets a on the inner faces of the side members of the frame. When thus fitted, such bed section is held in place by an end gate A secured to the frame by means of a suitable locking device, preferably comprising screws a with laterally bent heads adapted to fit in slots a in such end gate, and then, upon rotation, to engage with the gate to retain the same in place.

From the foregoing construction, it will be seen that the bed section in question can not only be removed from the frame of the device but that it can be turned with either face up, as desired. Its one face, normally the lower, may accordingly be provided at its extreme forward edge, with a plurality of small longitudinally alined knives a as illustrated in Fig. 3, such knives being adapted when the corresponding face is turned upwardly to act in conjunction with the main cutter knife A to cut the strips of vegetable crosswise thus forming angular pieces or blocks of thekind' above referred tion in the thickness of the strips cut from the vegetable as it is passed over the knife. To support such end of the bed section A at any desired elevation a member B is rotatably secured on its under face to the said member A by a headed pin B which is passed through a central opening in the member B and suitably secured to member A, so as to be interposed between the same and one of the cross bars a previously alluded to. The lower face Z) of member B, which contacts with the cross bar in question, is made of general helical conformation, whereby, as will be obvious, it is adapted to support the bed section at various elevations, depending upon its angular position about its axis. To retain it in any position once it is properly set, such contact face is formed with a plurality of notches I) that are adapted to engage with a projection, or lug b on the cross bar. By placing suitable marks, as numerals, b adjacent to successive notches on the helical face of the member, a scale of thicknesses to be out by the device may be established.

It will accordingly be seen that my cutter, as described, embodies a number of features that contribute considerably to the general utility of the device, as well as to the convenience of the user.

It will be understood of course that in larger devices, such as might be employed in factories or large culinary establishments, more than a single knife A may be provided in the same bed, either arranged successively or in opposed positions, as desired, see Fig. l.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any one of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinctly claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame including a cross-bar, a knife transversely inserted in the bed of said frame, the cutting edge of said knife comprising two inclined portions converging inwardly and forwardly, a removable bed-section contiguous to the cutting edge of said knife, said bed-section being vertically movable, a rotating member between the under face of said bed-section and an adjacent portion of said frame, means passing through said rotatable member for securing the same to said bed-section, said member being of different heights at different points about its periphery so as to support said bed-section at various elevations and having such periphery intersected by a series of notches, and a stop secured to the cross-bar and adapted to engage the notches in said rotatable member for locking the latter at different points about its axis.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame; a knife transversely inserted in the bed of said frame; a removably and vertically movable bed-section contiguous to the cutting edge of said knife being triangular in form at its upper end, a member rotatably secured on the under face of said bed-section and adapted to contact with an adjacent portion of said frame, the contacting face of said member being of general helical conformation,

whereby it is adapted to support said bed section at various elevations; and such helical face being intersected by a plurality of notches and means borne by such adjacent frame portion adapted to engage the notches on the helical face of the rotatable member at different points to lock the same against rotation.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame comprising side members and a bed including two sections, one of said bed-sections being fixedly held between said side members and the other being provided with laterally projecting pins adapted to fit in open pockets in said side members with either face directed upwardly; a detachable gate adapted to secure said last named bed-section in said frame; a knife transversely mounted along the inner edge of said fixed bed-section, said knife comprising two similarly inclined portions converging inwardly and forwardly from the edges of said bed so as to meet substantially on the center line of the same; a plurality of small knife blades longitudinally mounted along the adjacent triangularly formed edge of said movable bed-section, rotatable means optionally attachable to either face of said removable bed-section and adapted to be interposed between the under face of said section and an adjacent portion of said.

frame, whereby the elevation of the free end of said section may be varied, and means carried by a cross-bar of the frame for lock ing said rotatable means at different points against rotation.

Signed by me this 23rd day of March,

JO SEF SPENKO.

Attested by E. R. Rom), JNo. F. OBERLIN. 

